BRUNSWICK, N.J., June 12 (UPI) -- Most U.S. adults have heard about avian flu, and have talked about it, but don't know much about it, according to a survey of 1,200 Americans.
A majority of Americans are aware of the presence of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza in people, birds, and poultry globally, but many are unaware that there have been no cases in humans or animals in the United States, according to the survey by the Food Policy Institute at the Rutgers New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station.
Americans see their current risk of avian influenza infection as low, and are not particularly worried.
Respondents said they saw the current supply of chicken products as relatively safe, explaining why there hasn't been a drop in the average national consumption of 86 pounds of chicken per person per year.
The U.S. government estimates that the per capita U.S. consumption of chicken has more than doubled since 1970.
